Researchers analyzing mathematical and astronomical writings from a Maya site in Guatemala report identifying the name of an astronomer, Sak Tahn Waax, from a wall inscription. The findings, first reported by Nature, describe decipherment of a mathematical formula depicted on the site, which researchers say reflects knowledge used in ancient astronomical calculation. Additional coverage across major outlets and science platforms says the work connects the named individual to the mathematical content preserved at the site and dates the materials to roughly the eighth century. Several reports frame the discovery as significant because it ties a specific person to technical knowledge—something archaeologists have rarely been able to do with ancient American texts. Other outlets characterize the formula as comparable in impact to broader ancient mathematical traditions, while emphasizing that the interpretation relies on the context of the inscription and corroborating archaeological details. Overall, the sources agree that the decipherment centers on recognizing a person’s name within the same textual record that includes an astronomical calculation method, providing new insight into how named expertise is represented in Maya writing.
Researchers decipher Maya wall text naming astronomer Sak Tahn Waax
Researchers analyzing mathematical and astronomical writings from a Maya site in Guatemala report identifying the name of an astronomer, Sak Tahn Waax, from a wall inscription. The findings, first rep...
- Researchers decipher mathematical and astronomical content from a Maya wall inscription in Guatemala.
- The text includes the name of an astronomer identified as Sak Tahn Waax.
- The materials are dated to roughly the eighth century, according to reporting in multiple outlets.
- Multiple sources describe the deciphered formula as related to astronomical calculation or measurement.
- Coverage describes the discovery as one of the clearer identifications of a named technical figure from ancient Americas.
Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient masters NatureArchaeologists decipher the name of a Maya astronomer for the first time National GeographicMaya mathematician’s name decoded alongside astronomical formula New ScientistThe identification and work of an eighth-century Maya mathematician Cambridge University Press & AssessmentArchaeologists Just Found the Earliest Known Named Scientist in the Ancient Americas Gizmodo
2 hours agoNature, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02170-8Mathematical texts from a Maya site in Guatemala identify an astronomer called Sak Tahn Waax.
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